BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab secretary for forests has formed a three-member committee to probe into the illegal cutting of trees and the confiscation of a trailer laden with the same within the boundaries of Cholistan Range Management Division of Bahawalpur forest circle the other day.

A copy of the notification NoSO(E-1) 447-1/2014 is available with Dawn.

It is learnt that the inquiry committee set up on the orders of Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb will be headed by Tariq Naseem, conservator of forests, Dera Ghazi Khan (as a convener) while Muhammad Mushtaq, conservator of forests, Multan forest circle and Tariq Mahmood, divisional forest officer, Multan, will be its members.

The committee has been directed to submit its report within seven days. The panel will ascertain the circumstances, which led to this event, determine the reasons of delayed response by the local forest authorities, inefficiency and delay in determining the source and origin of wood whether public or private.

The committee will conduct technology-based extensive and scientific analysis to the extent of damage to determine the responsibility upon the delinquent officials.

It may be recalled that a trailer carrying timber was trapped on Dec 8 near Kudwala within the limits of Yazman police station.

The owner of the trailer identified as Amin Khan Pathan was fined a sum of Rs5,148,000, which is yet to be recovered by the Bahawalpur forest department. The trailer laden with illegally cut trees is presently in the custody of its officials and is parked at Lal Sohanra forest depot.

Four officials including Rao Rizwan Ahmed, DFO Cholistan Range Management Division, Bahawalpur, Muhammad Abbas, range forest officer,Yazman, Abdul Majid forest block officer, Kudwala and Muhammad Ramzan, forest guard, were suspended after the trailer was hauled during crackdown.

After the suspension of [DFO] Rao Rizwan, Saeed Ahmed, DFO forest (extension) Bahawalpur, has been given additional charge of the post of DFO Cholistan range management division.

Reports said after the confiscation of the trailer, in-charge conservator Gauhar Mushtaq of Cholistan range management division (with its headquarters in Lahore) rushed to Bahawalpur and conducted a departmental inquiry on Tuesday.

Talking to Dawn at forest complex on Tuesday, conservator Gauhar Mushtaq said checking the illegal cutting of trees and their theft from Cholistan desert was the sole responsibility of Cholistan Development Authority (CDA), Bahawalpur.

He claimed that under the 1976 CDA Act, the entire Cholistan desert area is presently under the revenue and territorial control of CDA, which should also be held legally responsible for any theft or pilferage of not only trees but all the wealth of Cholistan. In this context, he also spoke of the annual lease of the contracts of Khar (a local fertiliser type plant), animals bones besides the recovery of tax (called tirini) from the livestock owners for the grazing of their herds in Cholistan’s meadows.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2024